Signal-compensator.



No. 740,127. PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903. J. T. HAMBAY. SIGNAL 'GOMPENSATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18. 1902. I H0 MODEL.

I III WITNESSES v No. 740,127. PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

J. T. HAMBAY.

SIGNAL GOMPENSATOB. APPLICATION FILED AUG.1,i9b&

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR l ATTORNEY.

I Patented September 29, 1903.

PATE T OFFIC JAMES T. HAMBAY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

Sl'GNAh-COMPENSATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,127, datedSeptember 29,- 1903.

Application filed August 18, 1902. Serial No. 120,169. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern. v

Be it known that I, J AMES T. HAMBAY, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSignal-Compensators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a signal-compensator in a railway signalapparatus, and is adapted to obviate the disadvantages heretoforeexisting caused by the expansion and contraction on account of change intempera ture of certain of the operating parts of the signal device. Theuncertainty of operation caused by such expansion and-contraction hasbeen a serious detriment to the use of mechanical signal apparatus, andthe means heretofore adopted to overcome the same have been either toocomplicated in structure or uncertain in operation to be efiective. Bymy invention 1 have provided a device which is simple and efiective inoperation and adapt-- ed to be used with signal apparatus of any desiredlength.

In the followingI have described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings a structure illustrating my invention, the features thereofbeing more particularly pointed out hereinafter in the claims.

In the drawings, Figurel is a diagrammatic representation of a railwaysignal apparatus provided with my compensator. Fig.

2 is a top View of the same enlarged, portions being broken away. Fig. 3is a side view of a portion of the compensator device,-showing one meansof accomplishing the invention and particularly adapted forlong-distance signaling; and Fig. 4: is a side view of another portionof the same, showing another means of accomplishing the invention andparticularly adapted for signals operated near the home station.

Similar letters indicate throughout the several "views.

a a a indicate the railway-tracks.

1) indicates the signal-tower, in which are the ordinaryoperating-levers cc, to which one end of eachof the flexible wires (1 dand d d are attached in the usual manner.

e e indicate the semaphore-posts, having the semaphoresff pivotedthereon in the usual manner.

similar parts adapted to pass.

9 g indicate the levers, pivoted on the semaphore-posts e e,respectively, to which the other end of the wires 01 d and d d areattached.

h h indicate rigid rods connecting the respective semaphores with thelevers g g.

i t 2' indicate pulleys over which the wires d d and d d pass.

.jindicates a rigid metallic rod or pipe firmly held at one end on asuitable foundation 7c and at the other end pivoted to one arm l of abell-crank lever Z, pivotally supported on a suitable foundation on bymeans of pin 71. The other arm 0f the bell-crank lever l is providedwith jaws Z Z forming bearings for sheaves 0 0, over which the wires d'd are Foundation m also supports sheaves p 19, over which the wires d dare also adapted to pass.

r7" are supports for holding the rod and wires (2 d in alinement..

, s is a sleeve mounted on rodj and having pivotally attached theretoone end of an arm t, pivotally mounted at its other end on a suitablefoundation m. The armt is provided with sheaves p 10, around which thewires d d are adapted to pass. The length of therod j and the relativeproportions of the arms of the bell-crank lever Z or the arm 15 are soarranged in comparison with the length of the signal-wires d d and d dthat the expansion and contraction of the rod j will compensate theexpansion and contraction of the wires as desired, thus obviating thenecessity of extremely long compensating rods.

The operation of my device is as follows: As the rodj expands it willgive a longitudinal thrust to the arm Z of the bell-crank lever Z, thusraising the other arm Z of the lever, carrying the sheaves 0 o, andtaking up the slack in the wires 01 d caused by the expansion thereof.

The arrangement of the parts, a:

as is obvious, will keep a constant and pre- ICC the thrust in anydesired proportion, while for short-distance signaling the movement ofthe arm 25 may exactly compensate the lengthening or shortening of thewires d d in the same proportion, as whatever longitudinal motion isgiven to the block .9 may be made equal to the expansion or contractionof the wires (1 d.

It is obvious that the form and details of construction of the parts maybe varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I donot confine myself to the details shown.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A signal-compensator comprising a metallic pipe firmly held at onepoint and free to move at another, a flexible wire and means operated bythe expansion and contraction of the pipe for taking up the slack in thewire.

2. A signal-compensator comprising a metallic pipe firmly held at onepoint and free to move at another, a flexible wire, a bellcrank leveradapted to receive motion by the expansion and contraction of the pipe,and means operated by the lever adapted to keep a constant tension onthe wire,

3. A signal-compensator comprising a metallic pipe firmly held at oneend and free to move at another, a bell-crank lever having one armconnected to the free end of the pipe and the otherarm provided withjaws, sheaves support-ed in said jaws, flexible wires passing throughsaid sheaves in such manner that the expansion and contraction of thepipe will keep a constant tension on the Wires.

4. A signal-compensator comprising a metallic rod or pipe firmly held atone end and free to moveat the other, a bell-crank lever having one armconnected to the free end of the rod or pipe and the other arm providedwith jaws, sheaves supported in said jaws, flexible wires passing oversaid sheaves and means to prevent said wires from running oi? thesheaves, the arrangement of parts being such that the expansion andcontraction of the rod or pipe will keep a constant tension on thewires.

5. A signal-compensator comprising a metallic rod or pipe firmly held atone point and free to move at another, an arm pivoted one end on saidrod or pipe and the other on a fixed foundation, a sheave supported bysaid arm and a flexible wire passing over said sheave, the parts beingarranged in such manner that the expansion and contraction of the rod orpipe will keep a constant tension on the wire.

6. A signal-compensator comprising a'metallic rod or pipe firmly held atone point and free to move at another, an arm pivoted one end on saidrod or pipe and the other on a fixed foundation, jaws in said armbetween said pivotal points, a sheave supported in said jaws and aflexible wire passing over said sheave the parts being so arranged thatthe expansion or contraction of the rod or pipe will keep a constanttension on the wire.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES T. I-IAMBAY. Witnesses:

SEABURY C. MASTICK, GRACE L. HEASLEY.

